Physical activity and sedentary behavior during pregnancy and postpartum, measured using hip and wrist-worn accelerometers.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity in pregnancy and postpartum is beneficial to mothers and infants. To advance knowledge of objective physical activity measurement during these periods, this study compares hip to wrist accelerometer compliance; assesses convergent validity (correlation) between hip- and wrist-worn accelerometry; and assesses change in physical activity from pregnancy to postpartum. METHODS: We recruited women during pregnancy (n = 100; 2014-2015), asking them to wear hip and wrist accelerometers for 7 days during Trimester 2 (T2), Trimester 3 (T3), and 3-, 6-, 9- and 12-months postpartum. We assessed average wear-time and correlations (axis-specific counts/minute, vector magnitude counts/day and step counts/day) at T2, T3, and postpartum. RESULTS: Compliance was higher for wrist-worn accelerometers. Hip and wrist accelerometers showed moderate to high correlations (Pearson's r 0.59 to 0.84). Hip-measured sedentary and active time differed little between T2 and T3. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity decreased at T3 and remained low postpartum. Light physical activity increased and sedentary time decreased throughout the postpartum period. CONCLUSIONS: Wrist accelerometers may be preferable during pregnancy and appear comparable to hip accelerometers. As physical activity declines during later pregnancy and may not rebound post birth, support for re-engaging in physical activity earlier in the postpartum period may benefit women

Tracking Asian tiger mosquito introductions in the Netherlands using Nextstrain

The Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus is an undesirable invasive mosquito species that causes considerable nuisance through its biting behaviour, and has been proven to transmit more than 22 different viruses under laboratory conditions. Human-aided transportation, the capacity of winter diapause, and possibly global warming have contributed to the global invasion of Ae. albopictus. The species was found for the first time in the Netherlands in 2005, and since 2010 has been found introduced at many locations throughout the country. Elucidating the origin of these introduced mosquitoes could help the authorities on the planning and evaluation of the risk-based surveillance of Aedes invasive mosquitoes. This study aims to determine the genomic diversity of Ae. albopictus that is represented within and between collection sites with a database consisting of Ae. albopictus specimens from past introductions in the Netherlands, specimens from populations from other regions in the world, and data from specimens present in databases. In this study, complete mitochondrial genomes were sequenced, a recommended marker for phylogeography analysis of Ae. albopictus. Metadata is presented in a Nextstrain build containing 254 Ae. albopictus genomes up to October 2020. Overall, the phylogeny results of the Nextstrain build reveals a low mitogenomic diversity within Ae. albopictus. Genomic diversity of Ae. albopictus specimens found in the Netherlands fall within one main cluster which is hypothesised to represent the globally invasive strain of the species. Other organisations are stimulated to share data or materials for inclusion and improvement of the Nextstrain build, which can be accessed at https://nextstrain.nrcnvwa.nl/Aedes/20210728.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Identification of an RNA Polymerase III Regulator Linked to Disease-Associated Protein Aggregation.

Protein aggregation is associated with age-related neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's and polyglutamine diseases. As a causal relationship between protein aggregation and neurodegeneration remains elusive, understanding the cellular mechanisms regulating protein aggregation will help develop future treatments. To identify such mechanisms, we conducted a forward genetic screen in a C. elegans model of polyglutamine aggregation and identified the protein MOAG-2/LIR-3 as a driver of protein aggregation. In the absence of polyglutamine, MOAG-2/LIR-3 regulates the RNA polymerase III-associated transcription of small non-coding RNAs. This regulation is lost in the presence of polyglutamine, which mislocalizes MOAG-2/LIR-3 from the nucleus to the cytosol. We then show biochemically that MOAG-2/LIR-3 can also catalyze the aggregation of polyglutamine-expanded huntingtin. These results suggest that polyglutamine can induce an aggregation-promoting activity of MOAG-2/LIR-3 in the cytosol. The concept that certain aggregation-prone proteins can convert other endogenous proteins into drivers of aggregation and toxicity adds to the understanding of how cellular homeostasis can be deteriorated in protein misfolding diseases

Alien pathogens on the horizon: opportunities for predicting their threat to wildlife

According to the Convention on Biological Diversity, by 2020 invasive alien species (IAS) should be identified and their impacts assessed, so that species can be prioritized for implementation of appropriate control strategies and measures put in place to manage invasion pathways. For one quarter of the IAS listed as the “100 of the world's worst” environmental impacts are linked to diseases of wildlife (undomesticated plants and animals). Moreover, IAS are a significant source of “pathogen pollution” defined as the human-mediated introduction of a pathogen to a new host or region. Despite this, little is known about the biology of alien pathogens and their biodiversity impacts after introduction into new regions. We argue that the threats posed by alien pathogens to endangered species, ecosystems, and ecosystem services should receive greater attention through legislation, policy, and management. We identify 10 key areas for research and action, including those relevant to the processes of introduction and establishment of an alien pathogen and to prediction of the spread and associated impact of an alien pathogen on native biota and ecosystems. The development of interdisciplinary capacity, expertise, and coordination to identify and manage threats was seen as critical to address knowledge gaps

An endogenous nanomineral chaperones luminal antigen and peptidoglycan to intestinal immune cells.

In humans and other mammals it is known that calcium and phosphate ions are secreted from the distal small intestine into the lumen. However, why this secretion occurs is unclear. Here, we show that the process leads to the formation of amorphous magnesium-substituted calcium phosphate nanoparticles that trap soluble macromolecules, such as bacterial peptidoglycan and orally fed protein antigens, in the lumen and transport them to immune cells of the intestinal tissue. The macromolecule-containing nanoparticles utilize epithelial M cells to enter Peyer's patches, small areas of the intestine concentrated with particle-scavenging immune cells. In wild-type mice, intestinal immune cells containing these naturally formed nanoparticles expressed the immune tolerance-associated molecule 'programmed death-ligand 1', whereas in NOD1/2 double knockout mice, which cannot recognize peptidoglycan, programmed death-ligand 1 was undetected. Our results explain a role for constitutively formed calcium phosphate nanoparticles in the gut lumen and show how this helps to shape intestinal immune homeostasis

Tissue Transglutaminase in Marmoset Experimental Multiple Sclerosis: Discrepancy between White and Grey Matter

Infiltration of leukocytes is a major pathological event in white matter lesion formation in the brain of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. In grey matter lesions, less infiltration of these cells occur, but microglial activation is present. Thus far, the interaction of beta-integrins with extracellular matrix proteins, e.g. fibronectin, is considered to be of importance for the influx of immune cells. Recent in vitro studies indicate a possible role for the enzyme tissue Transglutaminase (TG2) in mediating cell adhesion and migration. In the present study we questioned whether TG2 is present in white and grey matter lesions observed in the marmoset model for MS. To this end, immunohistochemical studies were performed. We observed that TG2, expressed by infiltrating monocytes in white matter lesions co-expressed beta(1)-integrin and is located in close apposition to deposited fibronectin. These data suggest an important role for TG2 in the adhesion and migration of infiltrating monocytes during white matter lesion formation. Moreover, in grey matter lesions, TG2 is mainly present in microglial cells together with some beta(1)-integrin, whereas fibronectin is absent in these lesions. These data imply an alternative role for microglial-derived TG2 in grey matter lesions, e.g. cell proliferation. Further research should clarify the functional role of TG2 in monocytes or microglial cells in MS lesion formation

Review Report: Building C-400 Thermal Treatment 90 Percent Remedial Design Report and Site Investigation, Pgdp, Paducah, Kentucky

On 9 April 2007, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Headquarters, Office of Soil and Groundwater Remediation (EM-22) initiated an Independent Technical Review (ITR) of the 90% Remedial Design Report (RDR) and Site Investigation (RDSI) for thermal treatment of trichloroethylene (TCE) in the soil and groundwater in the vicinity of Building C-400 at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP). The general ITR goals were to assess the technical adequacy of the 90% RDSI and provide recommendations sufficient for DOE to determine if modifications are warranted pertaining to the design, schedule, or cost of implementing the proposed design. The ultimate goal of the effort was to assist the DOE Paducah/Portsmouth Project Office (PPPO) and their contractor team in ''removing'' the TCE source zone located near the C-400 Building. This report provides the ITR findings and recommendations and supporting evaluations as needed to facilitate use of the recommendations. The ITR team supports the remedial action objective (RAO) at C-400 to reduce the TCE source area via subsurface Electrical Resistance Heating (ERH). Further, the ITR team commends PPPO, their contractor team, regulators, and stakeholders for the significant efforts taken in preparing the 90% RDR. To maximize TCE removal at the target source area, several themes emerge from the review which the ITR team believes should be considered and addressed before implementing the thermal treatment. These themes include the need for: (1) Accurate and site-specific models as the basis to verify the ERH design for full-scale implementation for this challenging hydrogeologic setting; (2) Flexible project implementation and operation to allow the project team to respond to observations and data collected during construction and operation; (3) Defensible performance metrics and monitoring, appropriate for ERH, to ensure sufficient and efficient clean-up; and (4) Comprehensive (creative and diverse) contingencies to address the potential for system underperformance, and other unforeseen conditions These themes weave through the ITR report and the various analyses and recommendations. The ITR team recognizes that a number of technologies are available for treatment of TCE sources. Further, the team supports the regulatory process through which the selected remedy is being implemented, and concurs that ERH is a potentially viable remedial technology to meet the RAOs adjacent to C-400. Nonetheless, the ITR team concluded that additional efforts are needed to provide an adequate basis for the planned ERH design, particularly in the highly permeable Regional Gravel Aquifer (RGA), where sustaining target temperatures present a challenge. The ERH design modeling in the 90% RDR does not fully substantiate that heating in the deep RGA, at the interface with the McNairy formation, will meet the design goals; specifically the target temperatures. Full-scale implementation of ERH to meet the RAOs is a challenge in the complex hydrogeologic setting at PGDP. Where possible, risks to the project identified in this ITR report as ''issues'' and ''recommendations'' should be mitigated as part of the final design process to increase the likelihood of remedial success. The ITR efforts were organized into five lines of inquiry (LOIs): (1) Site investigation and target zone delineation; (2) Performance objectives; (3) Project and design topics; (4) Health and safety; and (5) Cross cutting and independent cost evaluation. Within each of these LOIs, the ITR team identified a series of unresolved issues--topics that have remaining uncertainties or potential project risks. These issues were analyzed and one or more recommendations were developed for each. In the end, the ITR team identified 27 issues and provided 50 recommendations. The issues and recommendations are briefly summarized below, developed in Section 5, and consolidated into a single list in Section 6. The ITR team concluded that there are substantive unresolved issues and system design uncertainties, resulting in technical and financial risks to DOE. If PPPO and their remedial team objectively evaluate each issue and recommendation to formulate a project risk mitigation strategy toward remedial implementation, the ITR team believes that issues can be resolved to maximize the potential to successfully achieve the regulatory goals. The review recommendations are intended to maximize contaminant extraction through improvements to the design, assure defensible performance metrics to measure progress and system shutdown, save cost, and improve the probability of successful full-scale implementation. The ITR team gratefully acknowledges the efforts of the PGDP project team and their support of our review process and commends the PGDP project team for their openness and responsiveness to the review comments and information requests

Depletion of Gut Microbiota Protects against Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

Item does not contain fulltextAn accumulating body of evidence shows that gut microbiota fulfill an important role in health and disease by modulating local and systemic immunity. The importance of the microbiome in the development of kidney disease, however, is largely unknown. To study this concept, we depleted gut microbiota with broad-spectrum antibiotics and performed renal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in mice. Depletion of the microbiota significantly attenuated renal damage, dysfunction, and remote organ injury and maintained tubular integrity after renal I/R injury. Gut flora-depleted mice expressed lower levels of F4/80 and chemokine receptors CX3CR1 and CCR2 in the F4/80+ renal resident macrophage population and bone marrow (BM) monocytes than did control mice. Additionally, compared with control BM monocytes, BM monocytes from gut flora-depleted mice had decreased migratory capacity toward CX3CL1 and CCL2 ligands. To study whether these effects were driven by depletion of the microbiota, we performed fecal transplants in antibiotic-treated mice and found that transplant of fecal material from an untreated mouse abolished the protective effect of microbiota depletion upon renal I/R injury. In conclusion, we show that depletion of gut microbiota profoundly protects against renal I/R injury by reducing maturation status of F4/80+ renal resident macrophages and BM monocytes. Therefore, dampening the inflammatory response by targeting microbiota-derived mediators might be a promising therapy against I/R injury